Two Iranian men face charges over alleged Manchester synagogue bomb plot

CBS News reported that United Kingdom police accused two Iranian men of planning a terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Manchester. The two men appeared in a United Kingdom court facing charges over the alleged plot aimed at Jewish targets. A prosecutor said that the men had scouted a synagogue in the United Kingdom for a plot involving a chlorine bomb. [1]

Wikipedia describes the Jewish community in Manchester as the second-largest Jewish community in Britain, behind only Greater London. The history of the community dates back to the eighteenth century, with settlers establishing businesses, synagogues, and burial grounds. The population expanded in the late nineteenth century as Jewish immigrants fled persecution in the Russian Empire. In recent years, the community has faced antisemitic attacks, including terrorist incidents in 2025 and several foiled plots in 2026. [2]

Wikipedia describes Iranian external operations as activities carried out in foreign countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. These operations are primarily conducted by Unit 840 of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, supported by the Ministry of Intelligence and proxy networks. They use military, intelligence, diplomatic, cyber, and proxy methods for surveillance, harassment, and targeting. Their scope is global, with a focus on regions including Europe, North America, and the Middle East. [3]